become a strength training genius.

I'm a cardio girl. I will run around in a circle for hours with the right music, but try to get me to pick up a weight and I'll look at you like you stole my last brownie. I recently began working with the T25 Focus DVD's which include strength training in some of the workouts. It's been working really well for me. I mean my arms get sore when Shaun T makes me punch the air, but whatever.

I know that lifting a couple ten pound dumbbells during a workout DVD isn't going to make my arms lose fat as quickly as I would like, so I decided to get a second opinion. Jim Stoppani's Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength (2nd Edition) is seriously kick ass. It's a great manual for those of you just getting into strength training as Stoppani begins at the beginning with the basics and all the vocabulary. However, with 381 exercises and 116 specific strength training programs, this book will also benefit you gym rats looking for a change. A major thing I learned? How long I'm supposed to rest in between sets. Depending on the exercise that the answer ranges from 1-5 minutes. I was definitely doing that wrong. But hey, lesson learned. And that's the whole point of Stoppani's book, to learn what to do and what not to do in the world of strength training.

get excited about strength training.

Everybody knows that if you really want to lose weight and see your body change FAST, then you need to incorporate strength training into your fitness routine. Especially the girls. I've been adding two days a week of heavier weight training myself to prepare for my special day that is less than three months away. I also consistently take classes at my gym that incorporate circuits with weights and cardio. It's hard for me to explain because I'm not all scholarly when it comes to exercise science, so I'll let Nick Tumminello take it from here.

The basis of Strength Training for Fat Loss by Nick Tumminello is metabolic strength training which he explains thoroughly in chapters 4-6 using his three C's: Strength Training Circuits, Strength Training Complexes, and Strength Training Combinations. In these three chapters, Tumminello not only clearly states what each concept means, he also includes the exercises involved using common gym equipment like dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, stability balls, resistance bands and cables. These practices are high intensity, and who doesn't like doing cardio and strength training at once? They use your entire body, so no more wasting your time working one muscle group at a time. Tumminello's circuits are a great way to spice up your routine, get you motivated, and see fat loss results FAST.